The Sicilian Carousel by Lawrence Durrell

This was my favorite book by Durrell that I've read so far, probably because it covers a topic I've been researching quite a lot over the last year.  The Sicilian Carousel refers to a trip he took around Sicily in the 1970s, on an itinerary that greatly mirrors our itinerary for this coming Fall.

More than just a travelogue, the book details the quirks of group travel, highlighting the foibles and eccentricities of Durrell's fellow travelers.  

And poignantly it also includes letters written by his late friend Martine, who lived in Sicily for many years.  She had urged Durrell to visit her there many times, unsuccessfully.  He brings her letters with him, often re-reading them from the same spots from which she had written them many years prior.

There's something about Lawrence Durrell's writing that intrigues me.  And this book was no exception.

The Story of the Stone - Volume 1 - Cao Xueqin

This first volume of a five volume series - largely described as the most renowned novel in Chinese history - continues my exploration of Chinese culture.

At times the story seems fantastically original, at times somewhere between Bridgerton and Harry Potter.

Comparisons aside, I'm enjoying it immensely.

We'll see if I make it all of the way through the series in advance of our trip next year, but so far I've thoroughly enjoyed this particular dive into the Chinese experience.

The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai

This book really underscores how China's culture differs widely from Western culture.

It tells the story of Li Bai, one of the greatest Chinese poets of all time, who spent most of his life trying to become a senior government official or military leader.

The notion that poetry-writing acumen would provide the foundation needed to excel in leadership at the highest levels of government is jarring to Western minds, including mine.

I assume that this career path wouldn't float in China of the 21st century, but it was viewed as normal in the 8th century CE during the Tang dynasty.  Although Bai's career at nearly the highest level of government was short lived, and basically a failure, his poetic skills did get him there.

Anyhow, this book has provided a grassroots view of China at that time, detailing Bai's experiences at home with his family, traveling on the road, in inns, restaurants and temples, and yes, serving his emperor in Chang'an.

Shanghai Grand by Taras Grescoe

I continue my study of China with this fascinating book, an in depth review of Shanghai - the Paris of Asia in the years leading up to World War II. 

The book tells the story of Emily “Mickey” Hahn, an American writer, adventurer and flapper, who moves to Shanghai in 1935. 

It also features the story of Sir Victor Sassoon, a British tycoon from India, who builds an empire in Shanghai, including the Cathay Hotel, alluded to in the book’s title. 

In fact, the book tells the story of dozens more figures of intrigue, who each reflect the glamour, boldness, depravity and vivacity of 1930s Shanghai. 

This unique genre of storytelling - uncovering a unique time and place in history - through mini biographies of its peoples - intrigues me. It’s a wonderful way to tell history. 

China is a massive subject no matter how you reckon it. But I’m starting to get my hooks into it with books like this. 

An Introduction to Confucianism by Xinzhong Yao

At times a tough read, at times a pure joy, this book provided me with a solid, intro level overview of Confucianism, a hugely important topic for my understanding of Chinese culture.

Red Sorghum by Mo Yan

What an interesting book.

Red Sorghum tells the story of a rural Chinese family, centered on the devastating period of the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s.

It brings to life the brutal reality of that war, sometimes in gruesome detail.  Before Red Sorghum I had never read a detailed account of the skinning of a living man.

The book uses the sorghum plants that are ubiquitous in this region as a metaphor for human perseverance through the most unimaginable horrors.  The village in which the story takes place is surrounded by sorghum, using it in endless ways, as food, fuel, medicine, disinfectant, shelter and more.

The sorghum endures the brutality of the war just as do the humans in the story, getting mowed down by gunfire, absorbing the blood and entrails of humans and animals.  But the sorghum always comes back, just as the people do, no matter the devastation.

Red Sorghum also depicts the moral ambiguity of humans in warfare, with few pure heroes in the story.  Perhaps exaggerating for effect, it tells a very real story of both the fragility, and the endurance of humanity.

China's Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty by Mark Edward Lewis

I'm winding down on this book, part three in a series of six, in the effort to speed up my study of China in advance of our planned trip in the Fall of 2027.

Although a bit dry in writing style, I appreciate the broad approach of each book in this series, covering both the military/political and the cultural history of each dynasty.

I particularly like the treatments of both city and rural life in China as separate domains.

I'm using this series to form a broad outline of imperial China from a macro level before diving deeper into specific areas of interest that cut across dynasties.

I'm particularly interested to study the primary religions of China.  I've studied Buddhism at some length, but very little on Confucianism, and virtually nothing on Daoism.

The Tang, considered a highwater mark in the cultural history of China, along with its cosmopolitanism, as reflected in the book's title, are worth of deeper exploration on its own.

Much, much more reading to come on China over the next 18 months.